COX-2 increase tumor-associated angiogenesis and tumor growth by eNOS-dependent pathway

eNOS 의존적 pathway를 통한 COX-2의 tumor 성장 증가와 tumor 혈관신생 증가

Cyclooxygenases (COX)-2 has been highly expressed in a variety of tumor cells and involved inflammatory process, tumor-associated angiogenesis, and vascular functions but the underlying mechanism is not clearly elucidated. We here investigated the molecular mechanism by which COX-2 regulates tumor-associated angiogenesis. In vivo, we injected B16-F1 cells overexpressed with COX-2 or mock in wild type or eNOS-deficient mice. Tumor cells overexpressed with COX-2 increase tumor-associated angiogenesis and tumor growth compared with control cells and that the effect of COX-2 was lower in eNOS-deficient mice than wild type mice. These results may contribute to further understanding of the regulation of angiogenesis by COX during tumor metastasis and inflammation.